


Holding Back and Having Faith

by kalikala28



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Coda, Episode: s10e14 The Executioner's Song, Everybody Wants Dean, M/M, POV Sam Winchester, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Sam Ships It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-13 19:45:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3394004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalikala28/pseuds/kalikala28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coda for 10x14, because the entire time Dean and Cain were fighting, I just wanted to know what the other three were doing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Holding Back and Having Faith

　　Sam could see the angry lines of red creep up his brother’s wrist as soon as the First Blade touched his palm. “Dean?” He asked, afraid. Waiting for those green eyes to flick to black. Waiting to lose everything.

　　“I’m good.” His brother answered, but Sam heard the tremble in his voice, saw past the forced smile. _For now_. It said.  
　　  
　　Dean turned, and started up the stairs. Sam wondered if Dean felt like he was ascending the stairs to the gallows, because that’s how it felt to Sam. Like his brother had accepted a sentence that had been passed, and was trying to go out with dignity. He looked back once, even now trying to reassure them with a smile, when the three of them should be the ones offering reassurance. Dean barely hesitated before entering the room where the Father of Murder was loosely held. He slid the door closed behind him.  
　　  
　　The three of them, Crowley, Castiel, and Sam, shared an uneasy glance before turning their gaze back on the door above them. Dean brought them here, Sam realized, Hell, Heaven, and Earth, all together in one room, all fighting for one thing- _Dean_.   
　　  
　　Sam spared a glance to the King of Hell, and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He knew that Crowley wanted Dean to come out of there a demon, even if he had no power to control Dean as such. It was the only chance Crowley stood to get what he wanted. Dean would never even consider him as more than a trump card while he still held on to both his soul and his humanity. Crowley had been different since the trials, less demonic and more frat boy, but still Sam would not hesitate to shove Ruby’s knife into his eye if he needed to.  
　　  
　　It was quiet. Sam could just barely make out soft voices from the room upstairs, and the occasional creak of the floorboards. He pictured his brother and Cain circling each other, sizing each other up and looking for an opening. At a particularly loud creak, Sam felt Cas stiffen beside him and take a step forward. Sam put a hand on his arm to stall him. Castiel gave him a tortured look, but stilled and looked back up at the door.  
　　  
　　The first sounds of fighting had Castiel taking steps forward again, and Sam reached out once more. “Sam!” He hissed, all but pleading.  
　　  
　　Sam looked at Castiel sadly. This would be the true tragedy, should his brother not walk away from this fight. The angel loved Dean, had sacrificed _everything_ , and Sam held out hope that one day, Dean would be able to love himself enough to let himself love Castiel in return. “We _can’t_ , Cas.” It killed him to say it. It felt wrong, to be here doing _nothing_ , while Dean fought for his life. Fought for his soul.

　　  
　　A large crash had all three of them flinching, the sound of broken glass unmistakable. “Sam, please.”  
　　  
　　Sam swallowed thickly, and shook his head. “He needs to focus, Cas. If we barge in there now, it could kill him.” The words were getting louder, the sounds of the skirmish rising and falling. Castiel was watching the door again, and looked like he might try to do something heroically stupid. “Cas. Look at me. You have to trust him. You trust Dean, right?”  
　　  
　　“Yes, but--”  
　　  
　　“No buts. He can do this. I have--” His voice broke, but he pushed on. “We have to believe he can do this. You have to stay out here, to show him that you have faith in him. He _needs_ you to have faith in him.”   
　　  
　　Castiel only nodded. Sam pulled him into a hug, as much for his own comfort as for the angel’s.  
　　  
　　Dean was his brother, but more than that, he’d been Sam’s father, his teacher, his _home_. There was no task too daunting when Sam knew he could look over and see that familiar profile standing beside him. Dean was his touchstone, an unyielding presence that said, “It’s gonna be okay, Sammy,” no matter how deep the shit got.   
　　  
　　He couldn’t bear to lose him. He wasn’t sure any of them could.  
　　  
　　They heard Dean yell, equal parts battle cry and anguish, and then silence fell. Castiel pulled away from Sam and the three of them watched the door in anticipation. When it opened, it was Dean that walked through it and down the stairs. Sam moved towards him, not letting himself breath that sigh of relief, not letting himself relax; not until he knew that it was _truly_ Dean.   
　　  
　　“Dean?” he asked carefully.  
　　  
　　“Dean. The blade.” Crowley demanded.   
　　  
　　Dean raised the blade slowly, and Sam tensed, despair swelling in his chest. _Please, Dean_. He thought. _Don’t_. Dean offered the blade to Cas.  
　　  
　　Sam let himself breathe, then; let himself accept this victory. Dean was confessing his lies to Crowley, but Sam couldn’t give any shit about that. Dean had done it. He’d walked out that door intact.   
　　  
　　Sam only just caught him as he collapsed. He knew his brother was not in good condition, he wasn’t even in the spectrum of okay, but he was still _Dean_ , and they could work with that.


End file.
